This Fire Still Burns
by Count D'Ainiac
Summary: Someone crawls out of the bottom of the Nibelheim reactor 15 years on. This story isn't over, despite the world having expanded. No sir, this story isn't over yet.
1. Chapter 1

Deep beneath the reactor, something stirred. Nothing had moved in this place for over ten years, the pipes rusting in their disuse. The place had been fully abandoned, and only not taken down for scrap because of its treacherous position in the high, jagged mountains. Only wolves called the surrounding area their home. No one had climbed the stairs up into the reactor in recent times, not even for routine checks. They had been fine knowing it was abandoned and out of use, as well as emptied of all the horrors that had been there before. There was nothing there but pipes, tubes and abandoned chambers that stretched deep underground. If one could have stood on the bridge leading to the main chamber, and looked over the side, they would have seen a faint greenish blue glow deep, deep down.

The peace though was being interrupted by that stirring. It came from deep down, where the glow was stronger, more radiant, and the air smelled less of rusting metal and more of something else, something more intangible. If you were to look all the way down, to the bottom of the reactor, you would have seen what looked like a greenish-blue pool, into which some of the pipes ran down. Of course, it was more than a pool, and it stretched further than anyone unknowing about the planet would be able to guess. However, it was from this pool, with its strange iridescence, that the stirring was coming from. The liquid…well, I say liquid because that is the easiest way to describe it…was stirring ever so slightly, like there was something beneath it, waiting to come up.

Then, everything was still for a few moments, as the surface of the pool seemed to calm. Then, suddenly, a black gloved hand shot out from the pool, grabbing the nearest pipe.

* * *

A mild mannered restaurateur was making the long walk between Saucer Town and Corel. The walk took him down a long, stretched valley, surrounded by mountains on either side. In front of him, the mountains curved round into a longer range, forming what was basically a dead end except for Saucer Town. Behind him lay the much larger mining town of Corel, which was situated at the mouth of the valley. On either side, trees had sprung up at the feet of the mountains, creating a pleasant place to walk, even if it was a good day or two's trek. There was no danger from any errant wildlife, the unique geography of the valley and its settlements not allowing anything dangerous in, and anything that had been there before had been dealt with. However, there was always danger from the errant bandit who was often more foolhardy than vicious in these peaceful times.

The restaurateur himself looked to be in his mid-30s, although looking good for that age. He was not particularly tall, though looked to be in good shape. He had short, light brown hair that might have been blonde once upon a time. Black, reasonably expensive sunglasses hid his eyes, and he wore fairly non-descript clothing, long black shorts and a white top, with short black boots, to match the warm summer sun that filled the sky. He had a pack slung over his shoulder. He looked the very definition of ordinary.

It was around about midday, and he had been walking now for several hours. He was less tired than you'd expect for a man his age after walking that far, especially with what looked like a heavy pack slung haphazardly over his right shoulder. He actually was thinking about stopping and having some lunch underneath the shade of the trees, until the snapping of a twig caused him to jerk his head to his left.

From his left, from out of the trees, came three men, one in front of the other two. They too were casually dressed, all three in long black trousers, the back two men in blue tops and the front man in red. They all wore what looked like black combat boots. The two men in blue were both bald, one light skinned, one dark, and the front man wore a red rag around his head which held up long, poorly dyed blue hair. All three men wore huge grins as they glared at the restaurateur, and in their hands they all carried crude short swords.

"We can do this the easy way…or the hard way," said the lead man, in what the restaurateur supposed was a threatening voice, "and believe me man, I don't care which one you choose. Your money and valuables. Now." The two bald men chuckled idiotically, raising their swords slightly.

The restaurateur seemed unperturbed for a moment, but then swung his pack around and onto the ground.

"Just let me get the stuff out then," he replied, in an almost bored tone. The lead bandit appeared to pick up on this, and scowled.

"You think this is a joke, eh?" He laughed, a high pitched cackle, "at least you're making the smart decision!"

"Yes. Yes I am." The restaurateur gave a hint of a smile, as he suddenly withdrew a short sword of his own from the pack. He stood up casually, and held the sword in front of him with his right arm, almost lazily. He sighed audibly. "Come on then. Do your worst."

The bandits stood silent for a moment, seemingly stunned by their targets insolence. Then, the leader spluttered in rage, "…take him apart!" The two men behind him charged, swords held high. Their potential victim allowed himself a small smile at their 'technique'. They had obviously not learned with these swords, he thought, as he easily blocked the first bandit's overhead swipe, then whirled his own sword around so the flat of the blade struck the man in the side, sending him crumpling to the ground. Obviously they had been scavenged, he then thought, as the second, darker bald man was on him, swinging his sword with an almighty force. The restaurateur merely ducked the blow, then jumped up with speed to land an uppercut on the man's unprotected chin, sending him up and away at least ten feet, before he landed on the ground unconscious.

The lead bandit merely stood still, as his target stared a hole in him. Wisely, thought the man, the bandit dropped his sword and fled, almost comically, back into the trees and towards Corel. The bald man who he had given the lightest of touches (for him) on the side, was grimacing whilst trying to drag his unconscious companion down the road. Soon after, they had disappeared from sight into the undergrowth as well. Soon, the restaurateur was left alone again in the shadow of the valley, the three abandoned swords on the ground the only evidence there had ever been a scuffle.

"…heh…" the noise made the restaurateur swivel round in surprise. He soon relaxed though as he saw who had made it. Perched in one of the trees in front of him was what looked like a man. A normal person couldn't be sure though. The figure was all in black, except for a read cloak fastened around him, which fluttered slightly behind him in the breeze. He was pale, had long, black hair and ruby red eyes, but the most staggering thing about him was the clawed, golden gauntlet on his left arm. Any other man may have been intimidated by the man's appearance, but not the restaurateur, who merely smiled as he looked up.

"Vincent. Long time no see." The figure jumped down nimbly from his position in the tree, landing almost on his toes in front of the man.

"…Cloud. Likewise. You look…different." The pale man gave a small smile, which was rather rare for him, though less rare than it used to be. Cloud just laughed.

"Oh don't be so non-committal Vincent!" he exclaimed, chuckling. "I know what you mean. You mean older, right?"

"I never said that…" Vincent smirked. "Though…yes. The sunglasses are a nice touch too." Cloud really laughed at that.

"Well, not everyone ages as slowly as you do, so be kind. And don't say that to Cid or Barrett. Now they will take it worse." Cloud removed his sunglasses, squinting slightly in the sunlight. Glowing blue eyes lay underneath. "You know as well why I wear these. People know the signs. They're less likely to welcome an ex-member of SOLDIER with no prejudice. Just makes business a little bit easier." Cloud ran a hand through his now shorter hair, and smiled. "..and this, before you ask, is a combination of notoriety and age."

"…I do wonder what Cid calls you now he can't call you Spiky."

"When did you get so funny?" Cloud grinned, "and he calls me many things. Just that his was his most kid-friendly one." Vincent gave another soft smile, and looked up the road, towards Saucer Town.

"What brings you out here then? Business?"

"Yeah," Cloud followed Vincent's gaze, "looking to set up a new bar and diner in Saucer Town. It's a great location, what with all the traffic to the Gold Saucer…"

"…and to think, you could be hunting monsters and bandits for the WRO…"

"I'm fine thanks," Cloud grinned, "Tifa's fine with me being away as long as I'm just talking business!"

They stood there in the sun for a moment in silence, before turning back to each other.

"Well, I guess I'd better let you get on. I have to get after those bandits after all, make sure they're taken into custody." Vincent swept his cloak around him, and began to walk down the trail back towards Corel.

"Hey!" Cloud shouted, causing Vincent to pause momentarily. "We're probably going to have a reunion soon, we'll give you a call. Would be good to properly catch up!"

Vincent didn't respond for a moment, keeping his back to Cloud, before he replied:

"…I'd have thought you'd be sick of 'reunions'."

"HEY!" Cloud laughed again, as the other man began walking away again, raising a hand in the air in farewell. Cloud stood still for a moment, chuckling softly, before returning his sword to his pack and hoisting it back over his shoulder. He had to admit he was jealous. Vincent barely look different, even after fifteen years of knowing him. With that, he started back again towards Saucer Town, his mind once again full of his business pitch.

* * *

The gloved hand around the pipe rested there for a mere second. Then, it moved again, as it grasped the pipe even tighter, and began to pull. The mako around the arm that emerged began to bubble and shift, until a man emerged, gasping for air, from the liquid. He had long silver hair, and glowing green eyes. He was wearing all black, except for two silver shoulder pads. The man kept a hold on the pipe, and pulled himself further out of the liquid, till almost his whole body was free. In doing that, he grasped onto another pipe, thankfully not hot due to disuse, and repeated the process, grabbing onto different pipes, making his way to a platform on the other side of the room. It was exhausting work, and in the heat of the room caused by the liquid's presence, the man was sweating profusely and struggling to move his muscles. Through sheer force of will though, he kept going, till he swung from one final pipe and landed sprawled onto the platform.

He lay there for what seemed like hours, breathing softly, almost nothing running through his mind. When it did, it was only fragments, memories that he couldn't piece together. He didn't seem to be able to remember them, no matter how hard he tried as he lay there…

He opened his eyes as he heard a small sound. Turning his head slightly, he noticed a rope hung next to him, where there hadn't been one before. Then there were two more ropes. Then a figure was sliding down the first rope. A man, clad in black like him, but with long, blonde hair, and glowing blue eyes. It triggered something in the man's mind, but he couldn't figure out what.

The other man reached the end of the rope, and touched down softly. Two masked men, both in white jumpsuits and black gasmasks, slid down on the ropes behind him. The man smiled as he looked down at the being who had just pulled himself from the mako.

"Well…it's about time." A fist was raised, then came crashing down.

The silver haired man saw only inky blackness as his consciousness slipped away.


	2. Chapter 2

Consciousness. Sweet consciousness. It came back to him like a flood. He was suddenly aware, awake. Unfortunately, with it came the pain in his face. He gasped, and he heard a noise right after. The air became still again. Slowly, with caution on his mind, he opened his eyes.

The first thing he saw was the ceiling. Plain, gunmetal grey. Thoroughly unremarkable to the point where it was almost remarkable. He tried to turn his body, but found he couldn't. That's when he felt the restraints on his wrists and ankles, holding him down. That's when he felt the cold metal underneath him, and when he realised he was naked from the waist up. He struggled briefly, before realising it was no use. These weren't normal restraints (he wasn't sure how he knew that), he wasn't going anywhere. He also felt sluggish, and tired….

"Having fun?" He turned his head around to look at where the voice had come from. His eyes met upon a strange sight. From the neck down, it looked to be an ordinary doctor or scientist, with a white lab coat and surgical gloves. Its head however, was masked by a black gas mask, which was intimidating to say the least. It looked like it was a man, but he couldn't be sure. Two black discs that he hoped eyes were behind stared at him. The man didn't know why, but it made him very, very afraid. He realised though, that wasn't where the voice had come from. The only noise coming from the thing in the lab coat was the sound of low breaths, amplified by the mask. He turned his head the other way, and looked upon a man resting in a chair, a smirk on his face.

Seeing the man brought a flood of images to his mind, which caused him to almost gasp at the shock of so much information running through his brain. He couldn't grasp it though, and just like that, the images were gone, leaving him as clueless as before. There was something inherently familiar about the man, and his long, spiky blond hair and glowing blue eyes, but there was also something very unfamiliar and strange about him. He wasn't sure what to think. The man seemed to notice this. He broke out into a broad grin, stood up, and moved towards him slowly.

"You must be…confused," said the man, seeming to savour every word, his voice deep and luxurious like melted chocolate. "I don't blame you. A lot has happened. I'm going to ask you a serious of questions. Do you mind answering them?" He felt like he didn't have a choice in the matter, so nodded stiffly from his prone position. "Good. Tell me. What is your name?" The man seemed to smile wider at this. He suddenly realised that, despite it sounding an easy question, there was no answer in his brain. He felt like there should be, but there was a hole where the answer seemed to have been.

"…I don't know." He answered, in a deepish voice himself, which surprised him. The man seemed to notice this, and gave a throaty chuckle.

"I expected as much, I expected as much…" he seemed to murmur to himself, turning away slightly, before focusing on him again. "Now, tell me. Do you know my name?" Again, he felt like he should have the answer, but failed to grasp it out of his mind. He shook his head solemnly. "That's okay…my name is Matt Revel. I am pleased to meet you. I would shake your hand but…well…for your own protection you see. We didn't know what you would do when you woke." The man gave a gesture, there was some scuffling, and he saw the scientist…doctor…masked thing…whatever it was…leave the room through a door he hadn't noticed before, on the other side of the room, where his legs were pointing. He took the time to survey the room. He was lying on a plain metal table; that much he had figured. Otherwise, the room was spacious and boring, except for a couple of things. One was a large, steel chest where the masked thing had been, with many compartments. The only other notable thing was to his left, where there was a stand holding a bag of fluid, out of which a tube came out and went into his left arm by the restraint. He suddenly had a thought as to why he felt so sluggish.

_Drugs?_

The man seemed to follow his eyeline, and frowned. "More precautions I'm afraid."

"Precautions?" He managed to spit out. "Why?"

"…you're a remarkable individual in so many ways." Revel stated, not meeting his gaze. "I will explain all in time. However, I must ask you. Do you remember anything?"

He shook his head. "fragments. I don't know what they mean…do you know why I cannot remember?"

"I have my theories. When we found you, you had just emerged from a lake of mako connected directly to the lifestream. Few survive that without severe poisoning. The drugs in your system...we thought when you woke, it may have affected your mind…adversely, should we say. It was for your own protection. But the mako exposure may be what damaged your memory."

"Wait," he said, cutting Revel off, "you found me? How?"

"Well…" the question had clearly caught the man off guard, but he almost instantly regained his smooth demeanour, "…that lake lay at the bottom of the disused mako reactor in Nibelheim. It's been abandoned for several years. My colleagues and I though installed security cameras when it was, though, for security reasons, to make sure no one was sneaking about where they shouldn't. That's how we found you."

Something in the man's testimony seemed off to him, but he couldn't figure out why. He made a note to investigate further later.

"Anyway," the man said, breaking a small silence, "I'm sure you have many questions, and I have more too, but you should rest. We still have to run some tests on you to see if your body is truly fine. I'd like to see if we can do anything to restore your memory too, of course."

"Is it possible I could have somewhere more comfortable to rest?" This caused Revel to chuckle, and grin widely.

"Of course! Here," he seemed to push a button on the wall behind him, and he felt the restraints on his wrists and ankles come free. He slowly sat himself up, feeling slightly nauseous as he did, and slowly removed the IV from his arm with a grimace. He swung his feet over the edge of the table, and tried to stand. He wobbled slightly at first, but then righted himself, to what seemed like a small sound of approval from Revel. The man then made a notion to follow him, and then walked out of the door.

He followed him out of the door, finding himself in a plain, steel walled corridor. There were no windows, just a long expanse of grey. As he followed the blonde Revel down the corridor, he noticed that they passed several doors, all just different slabs of metal with a handle, no label or window on the front. Sometimes, as they walked in silence, he thought he could hear strange noises coming from behind the doors. He resolved to ask about it later.

Eventually, they turned a corner and came to some stairs, climbing them for a minute, then entering another corridor. This one was nicer, and smaller, with actual wallpaper and carpet floors. Revel went left for a minute, before coming to a plain wooden door and opening it. As he followed him into the room, he saw what looked like a comfortable bed, and chest of drawers with a lamp on it. There was a cupboard on one wall, and a door that looked like it led to a bathroom. It was a nice room, but he noticed that there was another odd thing about it: there was no window.

"There are some clothes in the cupboard, and we'll bring you some food if you get hungry. I advise you sleep for now though. Some of the physical tests we'll need to run will be rigorous!" Revel smiled, before he turned to leave.

"Wait!" He called, as Revel was almost out the door. "…do you have any idea what my name is?"

This seemed to give the other man pause as he stood there, before he shook his head. "No. No, I can't say I do. But we'll try and work to find out. I promise."

With that, he left, shutting the door behind him, leaving the man standing in the middle of what seemed to be his new home for now, thoroughly confused about everything, and what on earth was happening…and who on earth he was.


End file.
